By Alyce McFadden
August 16, 2025
Protesters marched in front of National Guard troops in Washington on Saturday. Credit…Eric Lee for The New York Times
Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of Washington on an oppressively hot and humid Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops.
Hundreds gathered at Dupont Circle for a march through Washington to protest the deployment, which the Trump administration has claimed was meant to clamp down on crime and homelessness in the city. Many of the demonstrators dismissed that pretext and said the National Guard deployment was an abuse of power.
An activist group called Refuse Fascism led the demonstrators as they marched down Connecticut Avenue to the National Mall, filling the road and blocking traffic. Many were wearing bright orange bandannas and holding signs with slogans, including “Trump Must Go Now” and “No ICE! No National Guard!”